Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-06-02
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ABOUT SEED CORN.
Curing More Necessary to Its Successful
Termination Than Age.

curing MORE necessary TO Its buccesgfuf
termination Than Age.
There is now and then season when
seed corn will not grow well, and much
trouble is had on this account Last
spring hundreds of acres of corn had to
be planted over and some fields three
times. But for a remarkably warm au-
tumn, there would have been great
loss in the corn crop, and with all of
the favorable weather to ripen the late
planted, it was not full crop. All
of this loss and worry comes from
carelessness in the saving of the seed.
While it is always best to select the
most forward and perfect ears, it is
not necessary to do so, in order to get
seed which will grow. / selected lot
of seed the year before which was
barely glazed when the first frost came
the last of September, and this seed
would all grow. | have gathered seed
corn which was in the milk when the
ears were plucked, and it would grow.
/ have no doubt but that corn will
grow as soon as the chit, or germ, is
fully formed. This is the part which
terminates, and the matter around it,
forming the kernel, is simply food
stored up for the root and blade eman-
ating from the germ to feed upon,
until the main root throws out lateral
rootlets, which take up food from the
ground.
When seed corn freezes, the glucose
becomes soured, and this is fatal to its
growth; and this freezing will always
take place when there is enough moist
ure in the corn to cause it to freeze
When corn is well dried before cold
weather it will always grow unless it
has been so moist or wetted that it has
already fermented or soured on the
cob. This is evident when the cob has
red, or black, or rusty appearance
Such corn will never grow. The cob
should be clean, white, or its natural
color, and have no rank smell about it.
Bad-smelling corn should always be re-
jected, or corn with blackened chit,
or soft one.
When plucked in August, or perhaps
early in September and hung up with
the husks off, in the sun. corn will
usually get dried or cured enough to
, grow welE 1t is best not to wait till
the whole field is ready to cut up, or to
gather, before selecting the seed corn,
as an untimely frost may spoil it, or
the time may be too short to admit of
its becoming thoroughly cured before
freezing weather shall set in. The
safest way is to make it matter of
some care and attention to save the
seed corn, and to 60 into the fieM and
, select the earliest ears, and from Wig
orous stalks, and when there are two
ears on one stalk, "twist" or braid
them in short punches of about twenty
five ears, and hang them in some room,
where they will be protected from the
wet and where they can not freeze,
until perfectly dry. If fire should be
put into the room, all the better, as
there is no possible danger of getting
| it dried too much. Any thing short of
actually cooking it will do no harm
and makes its terminating strength
! greater.
In old times the kitchen overhead
beams were ornamented with the
"twists" of corn, and an extra stock o.
seed was always kept on hand, to pro-
vide for an unfavorable or unfor tunats
season.
1t is never safe to save seed corr
which has been hus ked from q pile OF
the barn floor, or which has been pileC
up anywhere, with an oppor tunity t.
heat and mold. Such is generally the
case when it is first drawn from the
field; and the later-harvested does not
give full opportunity for its getting
fully cured before winter. In the
West, the corn is left gener ally on tn,
hill, the stalks not being cut up, ant
the ears dry thus, and are plucked and
thrown into wagon, and if husket
are taken directly to the crib If moi
husked, the ears are thrown in a big
pile with the husks on, until the farmer
gets the crop gathered, or until it suits
his convenience to strip them, and ther
put them in crib, or haul them to the
nearest market where they are cribbed
awaiting shipment, or fitness to shell
and ship. Seed selected from such
handling is always attended with risk
A few years ago the West lost millions
of dollars from poor seed, and from
planting a variety not early enough TO
the latitude. This is a common mis-
take in all kinds of seed planting, an,
on this account it is best to rely on
home supply. or to procure kinds wei
known to be adapted to the location
I know of II variety of yellow frni
which has been grown in the same fam
lily for nearly seventy years, and it ha
been made earlier by selection, so tina
crop of sound corn is always had
Its productiveness is also improved
The losses in one years crop and tn
extra labor expended will more thai
equal the painstaking of a lifetime
with the satisfaction of certainty added
so that it is evident that special car
with the seed corn viii always pay
Our Country Home.
Keeping Farm Accounts.
Few farmers make it rule to kea